92 THE SLAVE-TRADE. Chai\ IV. 



quered, and he refused to allow any one to sell a cliild. They 

 never came back again till 1850 ; and as they had a number 

 of old Portuguese guns, marked "Legitimo de Braga," winch 

 Sebituane thought would be excellent in any future invasion of 

 Matebele, he offered to purchase them with cattle or ivory, but 

 the Mambari refused everything except boys about fourteen years 

 of age. The Makololo declare they never heard of people being 

 bought and sold till then, and disliked it, but the desire to possess 

 the guns prevailed, and eight old guns were exchanged for as 

 many boys ; these were not their own children, but captives of 

 the black races they had conquered. I have never known in 

 Africa an instance of a parent selling his own offspring. The 

 Makololo were afterwards incited to make a foray against some 

 tribes to the eastward ; the Mambari bargaining to use then guns 

 in the attack for the captives they might take, and the Makololo 

 were to have all the cattle. They went off with at least two 

 hundred slaves that year. During tins foray the Makololo met 

 some Arabs from Zanzibar, who presented them with three English 

 muskets, and in return received about thirty of then captives. 



In talking with my companion over these matters, the idea 

 was suggested that, if the slave-market were supplied with articles 

 of European manufacture by legitimate commerce, the trade in 

 slaves would become impossible. It seemed more feasible to 

 give the goods, for winch the people now part with their servants, 

 in exchange for ivory and other products of the country, and 

 thus prevent the trade at the beginning, than try to put a stop 

 to it at any of the subsequent steps. This could only be effected 

 by establishing a highway from the coast into the centre of the 

 country. 



As there was no hope of the Boers allowing the peaceable 

 instruction of the natives at Kolobeng, I at once resolved to save 

 my family from exposure to this unhealthy region by sending 

 them to England, and to return alone, with a view to exploring 

 the country in search of a healthy district that might prove a 

 centre of civilization, and open up the interior by a path to either 

 the east or west coast. This resolution led me down to the Cape 

 in April, 1852, being the first time during eleven years that I had 

 visited the scenes of civilization. Our route to Cape Town led 

 us to pass through the centre of the colony during the twentieth 



